Pembroke man enters plea in Concord racist graffiti case

The attorney for the Pembroke man charged with scrawling hate-filled racist graffiti on the Concord homes of African refugees entered a not guilty plea to the felony offense in Merrimack County Superior Court in Concord last week.

Raymond Stevens, 42, was supposed to be arraigned Wednesday on one count of felony criminal mischief with enhanced penalties police brought because they claim his actions were motivated by hate and hostility. The Wednesday hearing was cancelled after his attorney entered the not guilty plea on his behalf Nov. 4.

Stevens faces 10 to 30 years in state prison if convicted of the charge.

The state filed a motion Tuesday to revoke Stevens’ bail. The court has yet to rule on it.

Concord police arrested Stevens, who owned a Nashua tattoo parlor, on Oct. 15 after a two-year investigation that relied heavily on handwriting analyses of the graffiti’s distinctive handwriting.

Stevens is alleged to have scrawled racist slurs on three Concord homes in 2011. His alleged actions incited fear among refugees living in the homes, even prompting one family to move out of state, a refugee advocate said.